CHARACTERIZATION OF METHICILLIN - RESISTANT STAPHYLOCOCCUS AUREUS FROM ORTHOPAEDIC PATIENTS IN AHMADU BELLO UNIVERSITY TEACHING HOSPITAL, ZARIA, NIGERIA

📄 Project Abstract

Methicillin resistant Staphylococcus aureus (MRSA) is now a threat to both the hospitalized patients and community globally. This work was aimed at detecting molecularly, methicillin resistant Staphylococcus aureus from the orthopaedic patients in Ahmadu Bello University Teaching Hospital, Zaria, Nigeria. Conventional biochemical methods were used to identify the isolates while API STAPH identification test kit further characterized the isolates to species level. The susceptibility test was carried out using disc agar diffusion method while beta - lactamase production was tested for using nitrocefin. Methicillin resistance was detected phenotypically using cefoxitin 30 g disc and oxacillin agar screen test. Multiplex polymerase chain reaction (PCR) was used to detect mecA gene, the gene coding methicillin resistance and blaZ gene, the gene coding for beta- lactamase production with 16SrRNA gene being the internal control. Sequencing was carried out for the amplified isolates. A total n...